Cotoneaster moupinensis Franchet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., ser. 2, 8: 224, 1885.
Section Acutifolii, series Bullati
Origin: China (Sichuan, Gansu).
Presence in western Europe: Naturalized in Germany (John & Frank 2008, as C. cornifolius (Rehder & E.H. Wilson) Flinck & B. Hylmö; Dickoré & Kasperek 2010) and Great Britain (Stace 2010). Furthermore known from Poland (Dickoré & Kasperek l.c., as C. foveolatus Rehder & E.H. Wilson) and Scandinavia (Karlsson 2002).
Cultivation in Belgium and the Netherlands: “rare” (De Koning & van den Broek 2009).
Comparative taxonomy: Cotoneaster moupinensis is accepted by both Dickoré & Kasperek (2010) and Flora of China (Lingdi & Brach 2003). However, these authors adopt a slightly broader species concept and include several related species. The similar Cotoneaster foveolatus (incl. C. cornifolius) is accepted as a separate species by Lingdi & Brach l.c. while Dickoré & Kasperek l.c. reduce it to synonymy of C. moupinensis. As a result of this deviating taxonomy it is unclear which species are exactly naturalized in Germany and Poland (see above). In the past years several new species with blackish berries were described within series Bullati (Fryer & Hylmö 2001, Fryer & Hylmö 2009). There relationship with Cotoneaster moupinensis needs to be investigated.
Illustrations: Grevtsova (1999), Henker & Kiesewetter (2006), Roloff & Bärtels (2006), De Koning & van den Broek (2009), Fryer & Hylmö (2009), Stace (2010).
Cotoneaster moupinensis is an exceptional escape from cultivation in Belgium. A single (fruiting) shrub was recorded in 2010 in more or less open Pinus woodland in coastal dunes near De Haan. Similar non-flowering bushes occur elsewhere in the same woodland and might also pertain to this species. Its ecology and habitat preferences in Belgium are unclear but Cotoneaster moupinensis seems to thrive best in (half-) shade. In Germany, the related Cotoneaster cornifolius shows some tendencies to invasiveness (John & Frank 2008).
With its black berries Cotoneaster moupinensis is readily distinguished from most other escapes from this genus in Belgium. Cotoneaster ambiguus and C. villosulus are superficially similar but have fewer nutlets per berry, relatively few-flowered inflorescences and smaller leaves that are flat or with veins indistinctly impressed on upper leaf surfaces (see also under these species). In the absence of ripe (!) fruits Cotoneaster moupinensis is hardly distinguished from and possibly confused with the common C. rehderi. Both share relatively large, strongly to moderately bullate leaves and a multi-flowered inflorescence. According to Dickoré & Kasperek (2010) the inflorescence in Cotoneaster moupinensis often counts less flowers but this seems to be a plastic character; moreover it is in conflict with Fryer & Hylmö (2009) (15-50 vs. 10-30 in C. rehderi). Its leaves are usually less bullate (veins less deeply impressed on leaf upper surface) (see also Klotz 1957) but ripe berries are required for an accurate identification. Cotoneaster foveolatus (and perhaps even more C. hsingshangensis J. Fryer & B. Hylmö; see Fryer & Hylmö 2009) is also rather reminiscent (large, bullate leaves, black berries, etc.) but it has a few-flowered inflorescence (3-9-flowered) and its berries have 2 (rarely 3) nutlets, not (4-) 5 as in C. moupinensis. These species have not been recorded yet in Belgium.
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Literature
De Koning J. & van den Broek (2009) Nederlandse Dendrologie (14th ed.). K.N.N.V.: 547 p.
Dickoré W.B. & Kasperek G. (2010) Species of Cotoneaster (Rosaceae, Maloideae) indigenous to, naturalising or commonly cultivated in Central Europe. Willdenowia 40: 13-45 [available online at: http://user.uni-frankfurt.de/~kasperek/papers/dickore_kasperek_2010.pdf].
Fryer J. & Hylmö B. (2001) Captivating cotoneasters. The New Plantsman 8(4): 227.
Fryer J. & Hylmö B. (2009) Cotoneasters. A comprehensive guide to shrubs for flowers, fruit, and foliage. Timber Press, Portland-London: 344 p.
Grevtsova A.T. (1999) Atlas Cotoneasters. Cotoneaster (Medic.) Bauhin. Kiev, House Orchard, Truck-Garden: 372 p.
Henker H. & Kiesewetter H. (2006) Erstnachweise kritischer Pflanzensippen für Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Blütenpflanzen). Bot. Rundbr. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 41: 5-20.
John H. & Frank D. (2008) Verwilderte Cotoneaster-Arten in Halle (Saale) und Umgebung. Mitt. Florist. Kart. Sachsen-Anhalt 13: 3-28 [available online at: http://bv-st.de/images/Flo-Kart_2008_003-028_John_Frank.pdf ].
Karlsson T. (2002) Nyheter i den svenska kärlväxtfloran II. Korsblommiga–flockblommiga. Svensk Botanisk Tidskrift 96: 186-206. [available online at: http://sbf.c.se/www/pdf/96(3-4)/Karlsson.pdf]
Klotz G. (1957) Übersicht über die in Kultur befindlichen Cotoneaster-Arten. Wiss. Z. Univ. Halle, Math.-Nat. 6(6): 945-982.
Lingdi L. & Brach A.R. (2003) Cotoneaster. In: Wu Z.Y. & Raven P.H. (eds.), Flora of China, vol. 9. Science Press, Beijing & Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis: 85-108 [available online at: http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/PDF/PDF09/Cotoneaster.PDF].
Roloff A. & Bärtels A. (2006) Flora der Gehölze (2e Auflage). Ulmer, Stuttgart: 844 p.
Stace C. (2010) New Flora of the British Isles, 3th ed.: XXXII + 1232 p. Cambridge University Press.